The Defense Department on Thursday officially split the acquisition, technology and logistics office into two new units – defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment and undersecretary for research and engineering – as part of reorganization, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan wrote in a Wednesday memo the A&S office will oversee the Defense Logistics Agency; Defense Contract Management Agency; Defense Acquisition University; Defense Threat Reduction Agency; and the office of economic adjustment.
The R&E office will be responsible for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Defense Innovation Unit Experimental; Defense Microelectronics Activity; DoD Test Resource Management Center; Defense Technical Information Center; and the Pentagon’s strategic capabilities office.
Shanahan also set a June 1 deadline for the submission of a plan on the realignment of authorities, staff and resources across the two offices and a proposal on how the office of strategy and design will act as a bridge between A&S and other defense components in the development of the national defense strategy and other strategic guidance.
Ben FitzGerald officially assumed his duties as director of OS&D on Jan. 2 weeks after his appointment.
Ellen Lord, defense undersecretary for A&S, told reporters Thursday that acquisition personnel will not experience any changes at this time.
“Current state is what it was yesterday… We have been very clear in saying we are not doing a big reduction in force or anything like that,†she noted.
Lord, a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said she will name a human resources lead to focus on talent acquisition and leadership development; hire a finance head; and appoint another executive to focus on software development processes in order to kick off her efforts.
Michael Griffin, the White House’s nominee for the R&D undersecretary role and a Wash100 recipient, is still awaiting Senate confirmation.
